The only RTS campaign I can say I really finished, out of no obligation, no gritting teeth, no asterisks attached.
I think the biggest thing immediately for me is that Wings of Liberty as a campaign is not satisfied with just teaching you the general units and the general strategy. No, it wants to push into you every RTS fundamental. Getting really good at this campaign also made me more confident in the genre as a whole, because objectives had you target core fundamentals. On top of this, Wings of Liberty just has a lot of heart! There's a fucking shmup minigame in the mission cantina, there's a post-mission news reel you can watch, so many interactable characters with some of that "Blizzard magic" that doesn't feel like swallowing poison. And god there's a brutal difficulty option too, I can't imagine something like the last mission with nydus tunnels (which output STRONGER UNITS THE LONGER THEY'RE OUT) any harder than normal. I barely got through in the end.
I think the most titular example I can think of that felt like some ecstasy level mastery, was the mission Engine of Destruction. It's a very simple mission in concept, your pal Tychus is piloting an Odin that decimates mostly whatever is in his way, but he can't hear you. So he waits a bit, then hightails it to the next base he's going to destroy. This stresses a few things:
-Make sure to have enough units giving support that you'll also need to replenish, as fast as possible
-Defend him from harm
-Adapt quick to the enemy unit forces that are in your way.
I ended up finally getting a handle of the command group hotkeys, and things just completely clicked. Oh and during the whole thing you just get Tychus saying one liners with just perfect voice acting. It's soulful, it's damn well structured, it's a really really really good game!
I think the biggest thing immediately for me is that Wings of Liberty as a campaign is not satisfied with just teaching you the general units and the general strategy. No, it wants to push into you every RTS fundamental. Getting really good at this campaign also made me more confident in the genre as a whole, because objectives had you target core fundamentals. On top of this, Wings of Liberty just has a lot of heart! There's a fucking shmup minigame in the mission cantina, there's a post-mission news reel you can watch, so many interactable characters with some of that "Blizzard magic" that doesn't feel like swallowing poison. And god there's a brutal difficulty option too, I can't imagine something like the last mission with nydus tunnels (which output STRONGER UNITS THE LONGER THEY'RE OUT) any harder than normal. I barely got through in the end.
I think the most titular example I can think of that felt like some ecstasy level mastery, was the mission Engine of Destruction. It's a very simple mission in concept, your pal Tychus is piloting an Odin that decimates mostly whatever is in his way, but he can't hear you. So he waits a bit, then hightails it to the next base he's going to destroy. This stresses a few things:
-Make sure to have enough units giving support that you'll also need to replenish, as fast as possible
-Defend him from harm
-Adapt quick to the enemy unit forces that are in your way.
I ended up finally getting a handle of the command group hotkeys, and things just completely clicked. Oh and during the whole thing you just get Tychus saying one liners with just perfect voice acting. It's soulful, it's damn well structured, it's a really really really good game!